0

Manual 

by Marc Marc (C)1990/1994/2001 

0.1

This manual consists of several individual files, each containing one or more chapters. At your right hand you will find the table of contents. The golden bullets indicate the start of a new file - the items underneath then are included to that file. When you are on line, it is more efficient to start at the beginning of a new file rather than to jump somewhere into it because the whole file has to be loaded anyway to able this jump.

0.2

Whenever you have questions about the explanation in this manual you should refer to the paragraph number which is listed at the left side column. This paragraph, which you are reading now for example, is numbered as paragraph 0.2

0.3

For response see Marc Marc contact file
All pages & contents are Copyrighted (C)1996...2001
by Marc Marc Amsterdam

0.4

Specifications

• First release : February 1990
• Last access : March 2004.
• Program : BWL_P407.PRG, The Brain Wave Lab.
• Computer :
  • PC: Pentium II 333Mhz or higher - 'STeem' Package: Windows 95/98/NT/2000/ME/XP - 32 MB
  • PC: Pentium I 66 Mhz or higher, 486 100 Mhz or higher - 'Pacifist' Package: DOS 6/7 - 16 MB
  • ATARI 520 ST/STF(m) - 1040 ST/ST(e/f) - Mega ST - TT (in ST mode) with Monochrome monitor. 1 MB, Blitter activated if available
• Hardware : Special Interface + 1 pair of special goggles + International Adapter. To connect to the parallel port. Concept & Design & production by Marc Marc Amsterdam
• Author: Software & Hardware by Marc Marc.
• Manual : Text, illustrations and Layout by Marc Marc. Correction by Leo Boekhof.
• Publisher : Marc Marc Amsterdam The Netherlands. Tel: +31 (0)20 625 98 47 Email: marcmarc@xs4all.nl

0.5

Aim

Marc Marc Amsterdam presents to you: The Brain Wave Lab, a new tool to innovate processing in brain-wave-synthesis. This software plus the included hardware together with a computer, a sound card /chip and/or MIDI synthesizer/expander, makes it possible to experiment with brain-wave-synthesis and brain-wave-synchronization.

0.6

Disclaimer

Those who are using a pacemaker or suffer from any kind of brain seizures, epilepsy or anything else which indicates an over-sensitivity for light flashing and pulsed sound, should not use The Brain Wave Lab without first consulting a doctor. Extensive studies of the long term effects have not been performed.

0.7

Copyrights

You may freely download and try The Brain Wave Lab software and pass it through without charge for demo purposes. This however does not mean that it is allowed by third party to spread The Brain Wave lab Software or any of its native information for commercial purpose without written permission from 'Marc Marc Amsterdam'.

0.8

Literature

• Visual and Auditory Perception: ISBN 0-672-60779-4
• The Conscious Brain: ISBN 1-55778-150-8
• Care and Feeding of the brain: J.Maquire-Double Day
• The Amazing Brain ISBN: 0-395-40800-8
• Megabrain ISBN: 0-345-34175-9

1

Introduction  

1.1

Stimuli

The Brain Wave Lab is a so called computerized Mind-machine for both the PC and the ATARI-ST computer series. It is an audiovisual device that can produce Frequency patterns that are translated to sound via loudspeakers and light via Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

1.2

The effect of a Brain-machine

The effect of a Mind or Brain-machine is based upon the vibration resonance establishing itself between the exactly timed signals (light & sound) and the attention. The new focus of attention thus created, allows for access to many states of consciousness and realities beyond our everyday experience. Our perception in this context is the mechanism of our reaction to the visual and auditory stimuli. The stimuli are forcing a reaction via our perception. This is not a demanding mechanism but more a 'pushing' mechanism. The stimuli are being a dominant factor to attract the attention towards a certain state of mind.

1.3

Purpose

A Brain-machine is used to train our perception. As a result of this training, one becomes more aware about ones state of mind and how to control it. Also, a Brain-machine can be used to help curing diseases in which the psychosomatic element is due to the disease (like stress causing psychical disorders). One also can be attracted because of the visual effects that the light-stimulus can generate. The Experience of these visual effects, generated as a reaction to the light-stimulus can be of a fascinating joy that will let some questions raise about what it is that causes these projections and what the meaning is of them in context to your own being as an individual.

1.4

Research

Because of its flexibility, The Brain Wave Lab also features the possibility to do elementary research on brain-wave-synthesis.

1.5

Knowledge

To achieve specific results with a Brain-machine, one needs to have some knowledge about the subject and practice in using the machine.

1.6

To this program

1.7

Sound

During the development of this program, I did relate many times to my sound-projects. One of the most important issues of these projects was to yield the listener into the sound. It had the aim to let the listener consume the music with another dimension. I had the opinion (which I still have) that sounds in their elementary appearance influences our state of mind during daily life more than we are aware of. These experiences have lead to the fact that, when designing The Brain Wave Lab, a great attention was taken towards the sound facilities.

1.8

Frequency

The relation between sound and light lies in the fact that they both correlate to what is called 'Frequency'. In terms of a simplified statement, I state: everything we do has a strong relationship to frequency, speed, rate and rhythm. The information that streams into our brains also seems to be related to a certain rhythm of waves. You could say: they occur with a certain frequency. The Brain Wave Lab uses this hypothesis and will suit to the needs of those who want to experiment with it.

1.9

Theories

I have tried to create possibilities in this program to allow the user to research ones own areas of interest without being concerned about the conventional theories (some of them are very pretentious) in relation to the use of Brain-machines.

1.10

Statement

If we are a product of the culture in which we have been educated, then: is our consciousness related to our sub consciousness in terms of that culture? If so, how do we deal with the dogmas that we throw up? The dogmas that are generated by making the answer to our questions of more importance than the questions themselves. Gurus or pretending equivalents are very satisfied with the way Brain-machines nowadays are explored on the market. Analogously to the growth of the market on these machines, their market grows. Despite the fact that a Brain-machine can be a tool to stand closer to our own phenomenal state of being, it also has a great potential to mystify mankind.

1.11

Attitude

It is of no doubt that the user of The Brain Wave Lab need to have an open attitude towards the purpose of a Brain-machine to take advantage of it. At the same time it will be important to also be sceptical and critical.

Marc Marc, Amsterdam, March 1990

2

Possibilities  

2.1

Powerful

The power of this set is partly due to the fact that the software controls all the functions. This has lead to a program that has functions that other Brain-machines on the market do not have. It also means however that, due to these greater possibilities, the program is more complex. Beginners should limit themselves in the choice of possibilities and slowly get into it step by step.

2.2

Standard hardware

The standard hardware consists of a special interface plus one pair of goggles - equipped with LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) with TriColour capabilities. An international adapter (100...240V) comes with the set.

2.3

Extension hardware

Besides the Standard hardware, it is possible to order extension hardware (Expander) to connect more people simultaneously to The Brain Wave Lab.

2.4

Software

Concerning the LEDs, the program has the following adjustable parameters for each Lens / color: Frequency 0.06 to 50 Hz, Pulse Width 0...100%, Phase shift 0...100%, Brightness from 0 to 4.

2.5

Sound

The sound section has an editor that supports all the possibilities that the Atari sound chip offers. For the PC these 'Atari Sounds' are emulated with the sound card. Also MIDI devices can be used.

2.6

MIDI

As a specialty of this set: it has MIDI drive capabilities. This gives the possibility to use MIDI synthesizers or expanders. You can then use any imaginable sound. On a PC your sound card can function as a virtual MIDI device, using general MIDI. You also can use an external MIDI device on a PC.

2.7

Sound outpu t

When using a PC, the sound is extracted from the speaker output to either connect directly to the headphones or to be connected to an external amplifier.
In case your Atari-ST does not have a separated sound output bus, the sound has to be extracted from the computer via a monitor switch box. The sound output has to be connected with an amplifier onto which your headphone should be attached.

2.8

Fpresets & Structure

The program can store 100 different settings (Fpresets). With a sequencer time table one can run through these presets sequentially to create sessions. One also can execute Manually to create real-time sessions by using the keyboard to jump and interrupt running Fpresets.

There are facilities to copy, swap or rotate presets and sections. Parameter blocks and the settings as a whole can be saved to disk. The synchrony between the sound and the light is adjustable in an unique way.

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